ablaze
Americanadjective
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burning; on fire.
They set the logs ablaze.
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gleaming with bright lights, bold colors, etc.
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excited; eager; zealous; ardent.
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very angry.
adjective
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on fire; burning
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brightly illuminated
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emotionally aroused
Etymology
Origin of ablaze
Explanation
Use the adjective ablaze to describe something that's on fire. Once your campfire is ablaze, you can toast marshmallows over it. If there's a terrible fire in your town, it might set many houses ablaze, and some people dispose of fallen leaves and branches by setting them ablaze in the yard. The word dates from the 14th century, and it combines the prefix a-, which here means "on," and blaze, or "flame," from the Old English blæse, "torch, flame, firebrand, or lamp."
Vocabulary lists containing ablaze
"Ode to the Table" by Pablo Neruda
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Towers Falling
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Let There Be Light: Synonyms for "Bright"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The governor of Siberia's Tyumen region said a local oil refinery had been set ablaze.
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
Canada and Minnesota are ablaze in the scorching, dry heat.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
Navy and a U.A.E. oil transit hub, which was set ablaze.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
A fisherman on another boat recorded cellphone images of the Negra Francisca ablaze and posted the video, spurring alarm about the fate of the boat and its crew.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2026
He realized fingers on his left hand were ablaze, and Hazel was staring at him in terror.
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
